Quick answer: Yes - going gray can absolutely be a power move. In this Fierce Aging episode, 70-year-old Karen shares why she stopped coloring her hair around 2020, and Nikol Johnson creates a fresh, cool-toned makeup look - soft gray brows, a sheeny neutral eye, plum liner, and a pink lip - that flatters silver hair instead of washing it out.
Key takeaways
- Karen, 70, went gray around 2020 during lockdown after retiring from 30 years of teaching, and found support in online communities of women aging naturally.
- The episode digs into the double standard around aging: Karen's husband said her gray hair made him feel old, while men are often called distinguished as they gray.
- For gray hair, Nikol favors cool, soft makeup - she filled Karen's naturally dark brows lightly with a Soft Gray pencil rather than lightening them.
- A sheeny neutral eyeshadow, plum waterproof eyeliner, and a pink lip brought color back to the face; charcoal, navy, and dark chocolate liners work too.
- Nikol's goal is a fresh, confident look for mature skin - not piling on makeup - proving gray hair reads as modern when styled with intention.
Hey ladies - welcome back to the Fierce Aging series, where Nikol Johnson features real women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. This week's guest is Karen, who is 70 and fully embraced her gray. Before the makeup even starts, she and Nikol get into an honest conversation about how differently men and women are treated as they age - and then Nikol builds a fresh look designed to make silver hair glow.
How do men really feel about women going gray?
Karen has been fully gray since around 2020, and the feedback has been mostly positive - with one exception. Her husband told her the gray makes him feel old, even though his own beard is gray and he colors it. Karen and Nikol unpack the familiar double standard: men are often seen as distinguished as they age, while women feel pressure to hide every gray. Karen's take is that men sometimes project their own insecurities, and that the women in her groups who embraced gray became her people. Nikol's view is that owning the choice on your own terms is what actually reads as powerful.
What makeup flatters gray and silver hair?
Nikol's guiding rule for gray hair is cool and soft over warm and harsh. Instead of lightening the brows - a myth she hears constantly - she kept Karen's naturally dark brows for structure and simply filled the sparse spots. On the eyes she used a soft, sheeny neutral eyeshadow palette (she is a firm believer that mature women can wear sheen), then a plum waterproof eyeliner to bring color to the face. She points out that charcoal, navy, and dark chocolate liners flatter gray hair and brown eyes too. Pinks and lavenders on the lips complement silver hair beautifully, which is why she chose a fresh pink lipstick for Karen.
How did Nikol create Karen's gray-hair makeover?
The look is deliberately fresh and low-effort - Nikol is not here to pile on makeup, but to help mature women feel confident. Here is the order she worked in:
- Prep and hydrate the skin with an eye cream and a lifting serum (from a third-party skincare line).
- Apply eye primer from the lash base to the brow bone to neutralize redness and discoloration on the lid.
- Sweep on a sheeny neutral eyeshadow, starting with the middle shade and using the lightest color on the brow bone.
- Fill the brows lightly with the Soft Gray Skinny Brow Pencil, matching Karen's dark brows without darkening them.
- Add definition along the lash line with a plum waterproof eyeliner, then buff it soft with a blending brush.
- Coat the lashes with Volume Up Mascara (optional false lashes for a fuller, evening look).
- Color-correct under the eyes with the Just Peachy corrector to cancel gray and blue tones, then conceal with the creamy concealer in Fair and Light.
- Even out the complexion with BB Cream in Light and set the under-eye with Nikita Banana brightening powder.
- Line and fill the lips with the Rose All Day waterproof lip liner, then apply the pink Actually, I Can lipstick.
- Add warmth and glow with the Classic Beach Glow cream blush, bronzer and highlighter, a champagne lip topper, and Clear brow mascara to finish.
How do you transition to gray hair with confidence?
Karen's advice for anyone leaving their 60s and heading into their 70s - or just feeling unsure - is to find community. During lockdown she followed aging and graying blogs, including Nikol's, and joined groups that gave her a virtual support system of like-minded women. Nikol adds that updating your makeup as your hair changes helps silver hair look intentional and luminous rather than washed out, and that stepping outside your usual colors is where the fun begins. As always with any new skincare or eye product, patch-test first and check with a professional if you have sensitive skin.
The bottom line
Gray hair is not something to cover or apologize for - as Karen shows, it can be the most freeing, confident choice you make. Pair it with cool-toned brows, a soft sheeny eye, and a pop of pink or plum, and silver hair looks luminous and modern. Explore Nikol's makeup made for mature skin across the brows, eyes, and lips collections to build your own fresh look.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makeup colors flatter gray or silver hair?
Cool, soft tones tend to complement gray and silver hair best. In Karen's transformation Nikol reached for a plum eyeliner, a sheeny neutral eyeshadow, and pink and lavender lip shades to bring color back to the face. She notes that soft, cooler colors read as fresh and alive against gray, rather than washing you out.
Should you lighten your eyebrows when you go gray?
Not necessarily. Nikol pushes back on the idea that gray hair requires lighter brows. Karen's brows are naturally dark, so Nikol kept them dark to preserve structure and definition on the face. Her advice is to let your natural brow color guide you and simply fill in sparse spots rather than changing the shade to match gray hair.
What brow pencil shade did Nikol use on Karen's dark brows?
Nikol used the Soft Gray Skinny Brow Pencil. Even though Karen has gray hair, her brows are mostly dark with a few sparse spots, so Nikol chose soft gray to fill lightly without going too black or too brown. She pressed a little harder only where more depth was needed.
Can mature women wear sheen or shimmer eyeshadow?
Yes. Nikol used an all-sheen eyeshadow palette on Karen and says there is no reason to avoid sheen after 40, 50, 60 or beyond. She recommends a soft, controlled sheen rather than heavy glitter, and suggests tapping a little shimmer in the center of the lid if you prefer mostly matte.
How did Karen transition to gray hair?
Karen stopped coloring her dark hair around 2020, during lockdown, after retiring from 30 years of teaching. Being isolated made the grow-out easier, and she leaned on online groups and aging and graying blogs, including Nikol's, for a virtual support community of women going through the same change.
What eyeliner colors work well with gray hair?
Plenty. Karen wore a plum waterproof liner, but Nikol says charcoal, navy, and dark chocolate all flatter gray hair and brown eyes too. Her point is that gray-haired women have real range and do not have to stay safe with plain neutrals; a little color brings the face to life.
